Destiny on the Front
by Editor Jen
Summary: Fauna, an amateur hacker, meets a boy caught within the confines of a video game but can’t remember how he got there. The pair teams up with a retired game designer, and the three of them go on a quest to save their friend.
1. Prologue

**Destiny on the Front – by Editor Jen**

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**Summary: **Fauna, an amateur hacker, meets a boy caught within the confines of a video game but can't remember how he got there. The pair teams up with a retired game designer, and the three of them go on a quest to save their friend.

**Disclaimer:** Star Wars Battlefront belongs to LucusArts. "PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. LucasArts is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd. This story, however, belongs to me, and this sniper won't tolerate fellow gamers stealing my work.

**Author's Note:** Hello! Some of you know me as Editor Jen, some know me as RaysALight, and some simply know me as BountyGrl from Battlefront's Internet play. I have to say, I'm truly addicted to this game! There's actually strategy in it, and I'm trying to show that in this story. (And… oh yeah, I totally didn't copy the plot from . /hack, really! Hahahaha.)

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**Prologue – Logging In**

There was never a challenge he wouldn't face. His hands gripped the controller tightly and his gaze, after sweeping the icy planes of Rhen Var, fell on his target, the Fortress. It was the command post farthest to the east and a critical strategic point on the map.

Mindless chatter buzzed in his ears through the headset, unheeded. His Imperial Shock Trooper dropped from the ledge of the Lighthouse post and moved southeast. The AT-AT's domineering shadow fell over him, concealing his approach. He tapped the button to switch to his blaster pistol, his eyes focused on the snow ahead to catch any movement.

A Rebel Soldier shrugged his way down the Fortress' southernmost stairs and moved into view. The player smiled, it was an AI. He took the rebel out with a couple well-placed blaster shots.

The Shock Trooper paused at the bottom of the stairs and chucked a thermal detonator above him. It bounced off a wall and onto the floor of the Fortress before it exploded, and the player watched as his kills increased by two.

A second later, he bounded up the stairs and began taking the command post. His Shock Trooper skidded to a stop as he realized one more foe was still there. It was a Rebel Vanguard, a human player. The Rebel's back was turned and a mine was in his hand. A smirk on his face, the Trooper player pressed the button to switch back to his rocket launcher and aimed for his opponent's back.

He pressed the 'fire' button.

The sheer force of the missile's explosion knocked the Shock Trooper back into the wall adjacent to the stairs. He glanced at his health bar, noticing it that over half of it had been depleted, and then turned his attention forward as the lights from the explosion faded.

The player nearly dropped his controller.

The Rebel was still alive, and had his own missile launcher pointed at the Shock Trooper's head.

"What the-?" he stammered into the microphone. He heard a faint chuckle and then the crackling of static. His gaze dropped to the lower right side of the screen as player after player mysteriously 'left' the server. A voice caught his attention.

"I wouldn't move if I were you." The Rebel approached him, the launcher still aimed at his head.

"How can you talk to me? We're on different teams!" The player's hands began to shake and his grip tightened on the controller as laughter sounded in his headset.

"Subject captured. Start the deletion process, Pandora." The Rebel Vanguard slowly lowered his gun. "This might hurt a bit."

A rush of static flooded the player's ears and searing pains rushed though his limbs. It tore through his muscles like fire, and he tried to scream but found himself paralyzed and then consumed by a heat unlike anything he had ever felt before. The room spun around him wildly and then there was nothing but darkness.

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	2. Chapter 1 Logging In

**Destiny on the Front – by Editor Jen**

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**Summary: **Fauna, an amateur hacker, meets a boy caught within the confines of a video game but can't remember how he got there. The pair teams up with a retired game designer, and the three of them go on a quest to save their friend.

**Disclaimer:** Star Wars Battlefront belongs to LucusArts. "PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. LucasArts is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd. This story, however, belongs to me, and this sniper won't tolerate fellow gamers stealing my work.

**Author's Note:** Hello! Okay, I know the prologue was painfully short, but it's supposed to be. If I give you too much information, you'll know the whole story, and then you'll tell ./hack that I'm copying them. Which I'm not. Battlefront still rocks!

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**Chapter 1 – Logging In**

She woke up with a start. In the split second between dreams and reality, let out a sob as she felt the sudden pain. It spread like molten heat through her veins and she shuddered, sweat soaking the sheets. She pushed herself into a sitting position, sucking in deep breaths. Her eyes blinked in the darkness blindly.

'What kind of a dream was that?'

"Fawn!" her mother cried as she pushed open the door to her daughter's room. The light from the hallway poured in and the Fawn's eyes squeezed shut in response. Her room was neat and slightly empty, with the exception of a television next to the closet and a large desk in the corner. Stacked on the desk were two computers and other various pieces of hardware. The moon cascaded in through the large bay window and illuminated a single file folder, crammed with notes and simply titled 'Rein.'

Fawn's mother, hastily dressed in a cotton robe that touched the ground, knelt by her daughter's bedside and placed a hand on the girl's forehead.

"Honey, you're burning up! You must have a fever." Fawn shivered, despite the stuffy air, and nodded in agreement, the remnants of her dream slipping away. She glanced at her homemade clock. It was amazing what one could do with an old VCR. The contraption was showing 5 am. Her mom followed her gaze. "Definitely no school for you, young lady."

Her mother slid open the window and began to change the soaked bedding as Fawn padded her way to the bathroom. After splashing a bit of cool water on her flushed face, she regarded herself in the mirror. She was a pretty girl of 17, slim and delicate, with creamy light skin. Long brown hair fell down her back and framed her features. She had a small mouth and bright honey-colored eyes. Clad in an oversized t-shirt, she looked quite a bit younger than her age. 'It's my brother's old shirt,' her mind added, almost as an afterthought.

With a sad smile, Fawn made her way back to the bedroom. Her mother had just finished slipping on a new pillow case and handed Fawn the thermometer.

"Mom, I'm not sick! I just-"

The girl's plea was cut of with a firm look. She sighed and took her temperature. Her mom had become so over-protective since her brother passed away. The thermometer beeped, and showed that Fawn had no fever. At the girl's indignant look, the woman shook her head.

"Even if school is in two hours, I don't think you should be up and running about so soon after such a night. Stay home and rest." There was no room for argument in her voice, so Fawn gave in and climbed into bed. Her mom smiled and kissed her forehead, before turning to leave. The door closed behind her with a soft click.

After twenty minutes of tossing and turning, Fawn gave into her restlessness and threw the covers off. Quietly, so as not to wake her mother, she crossed the room to her television and punched the 'power' button. With a sneaky smile, she switched on her Playstation 2 and the system buzzed to life, loading her favorite game, Star Wars Battlefront. In a swift motion, Fauna swept her hair up into a ponytail and slipped on the headset.

With a good grip on the controller and one last glance toward the door, the player, Fauna, logged in.

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As a Rebel Marksman, Fauna crouched on the roof of a building near the Warehouse. Mos Eisley's terrain was dull and the map was somewhat complicated and mazelike. She had specifically joined the server with the most people playing, but the battle had already progressed quite a bit. With only the Cantina and the Warehouse in their possession, the Rebels were losing; which wasn't surprising, since the Empire's Dark Troopers had a huge advantage in Tatooine's busiest city.

A Stormtrooper wandered into her sight, and she took him out with two rapid sniper shots. She grinned and hit the reload button. Turning her character toward the direction of the market, she noticed a Dark Trooper flying in her direction. She fired.

It took all four loaded shots this time, but she was pleased to see her name flash on the screen, declaring her kill. It was always challenging to hit someone who abused their jet pack, but she usually pulled through.

After eight more kills, Fauna was beginning to get bored with her position. Why did everyone who was logged in this early in the morning seem to be intoxicated? She was about to find another server when she heard a sudden cry in the headset. Fauna checked her map. The Cantina's Command Post was flashing from green to white, meaning an enemy was trying to take it.

The sniper checked to make sure her rifle was loaded and jumped off from her perch. She winced as she hit the sandy ground and lost a sliver of health. As she pushed her character toward the Cantina, she tried to filter through the laughing and cursing she heard from her fellow Rebels. Someone from her team had to still be at the Command Post, since it wasn't neutral yet.

"I'm heading to the Cantina," she said into the microphone, her voiced hushed. For a while there was no reply; all the players seemed surprised to hear a girl's voice. Then she heard a soft whimper.

"Please, not again! Help me!" It sounded like a boy's voice. A truly terrified boy.

'Some people really get into this game,' Fauna thought as she stepped through the base's southeast door. A puzzled AI Stormtrooper was standing by the bar's edge. Before it could react, Fauna shut him down with a quick shot to the head. The Command Post was saved. She looked around.

A Rebel Pilot stood up from his hiding place behind the counter. He seemed to be twitching, almost trembling. He glanced warily around the Cantina.

"I saved you," Fauna said with a smug smile.

"Umm… T-thank you." The place was quiet for a moment, with the exception of the chatter of a few other players and the random spawning of an AI. The sniper stared at the pilot, who seemed glued to his spot.

"Are you okay?" she asked. There were always the weirdest people online. The pilot seemed to tremble more.

"I don't want to d-die again. Please. It hurts."

Fauna had been playing Battlefront since the month it was released into stores. Actually, she had downloaded an illegal demo before she decided to buy the game. She still had that disk stuffed into one her desk drawers. But hearing something like this was a first.

"What?" She fired a quick two shots at the northwest door, downing a human player who had tried to barge in. The pilot crouched behind the counter again, just so his head peeked out.

"What are you talking about?" she repeated. There was no response from the boy.

Fauna looked at his username. 'Evan.' She would get this Evan to answer her; she hated being ignored. With a couple more shots to hold the enemy off, she mashed the button to mute her microphone.

"Rein," she said, turning to her computer. It whirled to life.

"Yes, User Fawn," an automated voice replied.

"Connect to the Ps2."

"Yes, Fawn."

"Mute all."

"Done."

"Un-mute E-V-A-N."

"Yes, User Fawn."

"Thank you, Rein."

"You're welcome, Fawn."

Without the dumb chatter in her ears, Fauna was able to concentrate. The pilot was still hunkered down in front of her, trembling. A quick check of the map showed that the Cantina was now the only Rebel Command Post left, and it was beginning to get crowded.

"Follow me," she said sharply. Evan paused for a moment, but then did as she said. Fauna led him to the one booth of the Cantina where the chairs and table had been knocked over. She jumped behind the furniture and crouched. When she pressed forward, her character disappeared into the wall.

The pilot, after a few clumsy attempts, finally managed to follow, and the two of them were alone inside a dull rectangular space about the width of the Cantina itself.

"How did we-" he began. Fauna laughed.

"I know a couple secrets about this game. Amazing what you can find on the Internet, if you know where to look." She moved a step closer to him. "Now what were you talking about? Is this game to scary for you?"

"I'm not a little boy! I'm 16!" he retorted.

"Then what were you talking about?"

Evan's player twitched. "You won't believe this…"

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**Author's Note:** Okay, that's it for chapter one. Please keep in mind; I haven't really edited this yet, so I'm sure there are spelling and grammar issues. Hope you liked it. If you haven't played Battlefront, this all might be a bit confusing for you! Haha! Oh, and yes, that Cantina secret is real. But you probably know that already. See ya next chapter!


	3. Chapter 2 Firewall

**Destiny on the Front – by Editor Jen**

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**Summary: **Fauna, an amateur hacker, meets a boy caught within the confines of a video game but can't remember how he got there. The pair teams up with a retired game designer, and the three of them go on a quest to save their friend.

**Disclaimer:** Star Wars Battlefront belongs to LucusArts. "PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. LucasArts is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd. This story, however, belongs to me, and this sniper won't tolerate fellow gamers stealing my work.

**Author's Note:** Okay! Time for a creative outburst! How about a new chapter of Destiny? Since I've joined my SWBF (Star Wars Battlefront) team, we haven't lost a match yet! Keep rooting for us! (www. clan – rabid .com) Take out the spaces; I had to put them in there so they don't think I'm advertising. Haha. Enjoy. And fear not, these chapters will get longer.

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**Chapter 2 – Firewall**

Evan mumbled something just loud enough for Fauna to hear. Her hands began to tremble and her grip on the controller tightened in response. 'What did he just say? That's impossible!' Her gaze flickered from her computer, to her PS2, to her television and landed on the shivering pilot.

'Just what is he trying to pull?' she fumed. Her eyes narrowed. She might very well be one of the only girls to have ever bought a copy of Battlefront, but she wasn't completely gullible. Damn these teenage boys and their tricks.

"Screw you and your jokes!" she retorted, venom lacing her voice. Evan tried to interrupt, but his plea fell on deaf ears as Fauna continued. "Go to hell! I mean it!" Her Rebel Marksman turned away. "What are you trying to prove anyway? Honesty! Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I have to put up with this!"

Without warning, shots erupted in the Cantina and the command post's symbol began to blink furiously. Two stray bullets whizzed into the secret room and caught Evan's shoulder. He let out a scream. Fauna winced and yanked the headset off, staring at it blankly. 'Could he be telling the truth?'

The screen caught her attention. Evan's character was hunched over. The pilot's breath came in sharp gasps and he didn't even try to dodge the shots that strayed into the room. Fauna's compassion finally got the best of her.

"Evan!" she cried. He didn't respond. His face twisted into a painful grimace. Fauna's heart leapt into her throat. The characters in this game weren't programmed to show emotions; he could be telling the truth!

'I have to get him out of here!' she decided. After a moment's consideration, Fauna came up with an idea. "Just hold on, Evan! Heal yourself; you're a pilot! I'll get us out of here!" Before Evan could respond, she muted her microphone and turned to her computer.

"Rein! Open connection to PS2." The computer's monotonous voice began to respond, but Fawn called out more orders.

"Create a server!"

"Please list specifications," it answered.

Fawn sighed. There wasn't time for this! She swiveled her chair to face the computer and frantically punched in the specifics on the keyboard: 999 reinforcements; 2 maximum players; 0 AI per team; 2 minimum players to start; Jedi Heroes Off; Team Damage Off; Player-Select Teams. She clicked to add all the possible maps to the list and entered in her hosting bandwidth. She mashed the un-mute button and yelled into the microphone.

"Can you enter a server that has a password?" She looked to the screen for the boy's answer.

Evan shook his head. The pilot was hiding behind her now, his hands clinging to her shoulders; yet another motion that was definitely outside the game's parameters.

Fawn threw the headset to the floor and reached for the keyboard again, disabling the option for a server password. She hit the 'enter' button, hoping it wouldn't take long for Rein to hack the PS2. Hopefully, she could apply something similar to a firewall to keep even the most persistent hackers away. A metallic voice jarred her back to earth.

"Please specify session name."

Fawn knew she needed something girly; something that other hackers wouldn't even want to bother with. She said the first thing that came to mind.

"Destiny."

"Session name accepted. User Fawn, the server, "Destiny," will be created in… five… seconds. Please prepare to be transported. Four… three…"

Fawn fell to her knees, scrambling for the headset and shoving it into place.

"Evan! Hold on to me! I'm getting you out of here!"

The pilot swaggered, but tightened his hold on the Rebel Marksman. Fauna heard the faint crashing of static in her ears and listened out for and Rein's countdown. The pilot and her character began to fade and the screen flashed as the process to transfer them to the new server began.

Fawn was suddenly filled with an impeding sense of dread.

Her breath caught. The last thing she saw before the television flashed was another human character entering the secret room, his missile launcher leveled at her head. When she blinked again, she was in a new level, but his username was still etched in her mind.

Deimos.

Evan pushed away from Fauna and looked around warily. They were in Naboo. Sloping archways and steep brick stairs filled the corners of the Theed, but they seemed to be empty. Even the normally crowded balconies seemed strangely quiet.

Deimos. Fawn shook herself out of her trance. Where had she heard that name before? She turned her character to face Evan's, and stepped back in surprise. The transition to her server had somehow switched him to a Rebel Soldier. He looked weary and on-edge.

"It's okay. You're safe here, at least for the moment." He didn't reply. Fauna eyed him carefully. "It seems you have the ability to switch classes." He glanced at her, confused, and she explained. "You aren't a pilot anymore." She watched him inspect his new clothes and frowned. "That means you can't heal yourself."

He finally spoke after a long moment, but his voice was distant and tentative. "I feel… so weak." Fauna nodded, understanding.

"Okay, let's get you to a medical droid."

The pair had spawned in the center of the level, near the Palace. Fauna started toward the west, heading in the direction of the Office's command post. She knew there was a health droid there. She flushed when she saw Evan struggling to limp beside her and wished she knew the level better.

"Rein," she spoke, automatically looking to the sky. Evan flinched when a loud female voice answered. It sounded robotic and seemed to come from every direction.

"Yes, User Fawn."

The girl sighed. "Call me Fauna. Update your data."

"Yes, User Fauna."

"Ouch. And lower your volume, please." There was a pause.

"Done." The metallic voice was softer, almost hesitant.

"Rein, how much longer will this server be operational?"

"…Twenty-three hours, fifty-eight minutes, forty seconds."

"Thank you, Rein." Fauna snuck a glance at the boy. His brow was slick with sweat and he seemed to be walking more slowly. "Evan, you'll be safe here until the server fails." He grunted in thanks. "We're almost to the medical droid. I'm sorry I couldn't find a closer one."

"It's okay," he whispered, and stumbled for a moment. After he regained his balance, he timidly tried to change the subject. "Rein. She's your robot?" Fauna laughed.

"My computer. Actually, she was my brother's…" Her voice trailed off in thought for a moment before she continued. "But she's mine now, and quite useful. She can protect you. Just tell her what you need and-"

"I don't need protection," he said firmly, pushing himself to stand up straight. Fauna held back a smirk, thankful that they had reached the health droid. She had almost forgotten how stubborn guys could be.

"We'll talk about that later, then. Just relax and let the droid heal you."

Evan, too tired to protest, sank to the ground beside the droid and felt his strength seep back into his limbs. After a few seconds, he lifted a hand and watched his fist clench. He was as good as new. Fauna smiled as he stood up.

"Are you okay?"

Evan nodded. She was about to ask him how he managed to get stuck in a game, but reconsidered. 'Later,' she thought as she peaked at the boy's peaceful face. 'He's been through enough for now.' Even as a Rebel Soldier, his features still seemed to be faintly outlined with youthfulness.

They walked to the westernmost entrance of the Rotunda in silence. The scenery was beautiful; the Theed's sun was just on the brink of setting and its reflection glittered on the surface of the animated water.

"I always liked this level," Evan said with a wistful grin.

"I always hated this level," Fauna replied, chuckling. "There's not that many safe places for a sniper, and when I would finally find a place, one of the enemy vehicles would maul me over with missiles!"

Evan held his hand over his mouth, but his laughter broke out anyway. He leaned on the balcony, his whole body contorted with giggles and Fauna joined in at the whole absurdity of the situation. The ever-setting sun loomed over them as time seemed to stop for the two, or at least pause as they rested in their safe haven.


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